Biznes Fakty
Tusk and Nawrocki argue over the CPK. „If necessary, I'll whisper it in the president's ear later.”
President Karol Nawrocki expressed during the Cabinet Council his hope that the government and the parliamentary majority will „address” his proposal regarding the Central Communication Port. „If necessary, I will later inform the president who is genuinely interested in curtailing Poland’s ambitions concerning high-speed rail,” stated Prime Minister Donald Tusk, in reference to Karol Nawrocki’s CPK bill.
„The Central Communication Port initiative has faced a delay of a year and a half, even though its scope has been considerably narrowed (…). The setbacks related to the nuclear power plant construction are even more prolonged. If that is not the case, I sincerely hope this will be tackled during the meeting,” Nawrocki mentioned on Wednesday during the Cabinet Council at the Presidential Palace. The president conveyed his optimism that the government will „address” his CPK proposal, which he claimed has a „public mandate” and unites various political factions. „I trust that the government and the parliamentary majority will also consider my CPK proposal, which has the backing of 200,000 Polish citizens. The makeup of my advisors and those I invited to today’s Cabinet Council shows that this is not merely a political endeavor,” Nawrocki stated.
Donald Tusk responds to Nawrocki
– You, referring to the community gathered here, are not only pleasant but also effective in shaping certain ideas, and sometimes myths – Prime Minister Donald Tusk remarked afterwards.
„I look at Minister Horała, and to me, he embodies this situation. I wish I could discuss the CPK like Minister Horała does. However, we don’t just talk; we take action. Mr. President, kindly take note of one detail you included in the proposal you signed regarding the CPK,” the Prime Minister highlighted.
„I am uncertain why, or who persuaded you to do this, as I wouldn’t want to speculate, but you’re confining this high-speed rail ambition to 250 km per hour. In our initiative, we are executing it, not merely advocating for it. This operational speed is set at 350 km per hour, which effectively means the fastest railways in Europe. This also opens up the possibility of re-Polonizing the investment in infrastructure,” he stressed.
Read more: Two visions of CPK. What does the president want to change? >>>
„I do not wish to make any unfounded assumptions here, but those of you more familiar with the topic understand who might be interested, for commercial reasons, in maintaining only 250 km/h. But I know, and if necessary, I will inform the president later about who is genuinely interested in limiting Poland’s high-speed rail ambitions,” he added.
„We may not have conducted enough presentations, but the investment has commenced and will be finalized sooner than we currently expect. In the days and weeks ahead, more decisions and actions will be undertaken. I believe these will also be recognized by the president and your advisors,” he concluded.
Dispute over CPK
During his initial days as president, Karol Nawrocki introduced his legislative proposal concerning the CPK. The head of state’s plan entails a return to the original investment model, focusing on the enhancement of the „spoke” railway network and the integration of smaller towns into the transport system.
According to Law and Justice, the CPK is projected to commence operations in 2028, whereas the Civic Coalition, after recalculating, has established that 2032 is a more realistic timeline. The high-speed rail project in Law and Justice’s draft was to operate at 250 km/h, while the Civic Coalition has increased it to 320 km/h, also modifying the rail routes. Nawrocki pointed out that the new proposal would exclude certain cities, such as Kalisz.
